Estonian Science Fiction Association

www.ulmeajakiri.ee [email protected] SF fanzine Reaktor Reaktor is free web-based fanzine which is fully based on our editors and authors enthusiasm and it has been (and will be) always free to read from to web. There is also no annoying advertisments (which is also intention- al) and basically we pay for making it - we cover the server service ourself. No artist, writer, editor or critic has ever received any more payment than the fame and our reader’s thanks. However it seems that this has been enough since we’ve published an issue per month for almost six years now. Notable authors have given us premission to publish their stories such as Norman Spinrad, Charles Stross and Bruce Sterling. We have also received several short stories from Estonian publishers who would like to promote their newly published book or collection of stories. Our main goals are to publish young writer’s short stories, give them some insight and to expand our reader’s knowledge of native and internation- al SF literature and events. In addition to literature we are also tryng to cover wide variety of topics that are more of less tied to the theme of our fanzine - board games, roleplaying games (pen & paper), live action roleplaying games (LARP), video games, anime, comic-books, movies etc. If you are interested in contributing to our cause to improve the scenery of Estonian science fiction, fantasy and/or supernatural horror with your short story and/or an article we encourage to write to us (or if you really like what we in which case it would be great to have some feedback). We accept Engish submissions. We have several people who translate for us beside their daily job or as an hobby. All is good as long as the story hasn’t 1 been published in Estonian. By submitting a story to us, you’re granting us the non-exclusive, worldwide rights to republish your story in the Es- tonian language on this website. All other rights not expressly granted by the author reside exclusively with the author.” The author guarantees he is the the real author of the submitted text. Any format will do as long as the text is easily accessible (i.e. not an pdf). As there’s enough storage space in our server we have no official maximum length. Preferred (maximum) length would be around 10 000 words. We have had couple of longer stories but they usually don’t get that much attention as many people don’t like to read long texts on their computer screen (which is why we also have epub and mobi formats available). 2 www.ulme.ee [email protected] Estonian Science Fiction Association Founded on March 25, 1995. Its purposes are the presentation and pop- ularization of SF and the development of Estonian SF. Each summer, the Estonian Science Fiction Association organizes the annual gathering of SF fans, Estcon, where the winners of the Estonian SF award, Stalker, are announced. Since 1998, the ESFA has once a year given the Stalker award that recog- nizes good SF literature published in Estonian in the previous calendar year. The award is given in accordance to the statute and the results of a reader vote. Once a month, highly informal gatherings take place in Tartu and Tallinn and once a year the Estcon happens – a great summer SF event for everyone. President of the Society: Veiko Belials Board members: Jüri Kallas, Joel Jans Membership As of August 1, 2016, the society has 60 members. 3 Estonian SF award Stalker Stalker is Estonian Science Fiction Association (ESFA) award for the best original and translated speculative fiction (i.e SF, Fantasy and horror). Stalker was created to acknowledge the best original and translated speculative fiction published in Estonian. First Stalker nominees were announced in 1998. Stalkers for fiction are awarded based on the reader’s votes. (The guidelines of voting are described in the Stalker Statute.) This means everyone who’s interested in Estonian speculative fiction can vote! The award is announced annually on Estcon – the annual convention of the local fandom. All the voters and fans and other interested parties are very welcome to witness the event! Today there are different Stalker categories for short fiction, for novelettes and novellas, anthologies and novels. Couple of times ESFA has present- ed the special service Stalker to people with outstanding contribution in regards of science fiction. The name Stalker itself is a reference to the Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky(1971) and the film Stalker. Brothers have always had (and still do) a great influence in Estonian fandom. The Stalker is represented by the framed diploma and a ceramic clay tab- let with a palm print on it. 4 Estcon Estcon is an annual convention of Estonian fandom of speculative fiction (i.e SF, Fantasy and horror). It’s about literature, comic books, LARP, films, animations and having good time during a weekend in July with friends and barbecue. Unlike most of conventions Estcon takes place in a beautiful countryside in Estonia – yes – outdoors! Therefore, the main emphasis is not so much on the academic performances and the schedule is not too tight. Mostly it’s a nice cultured recreation time. The participant on Estcon can meet the local authors, translators and publishers. The first Estcon took place in 25th and 26th of July 1998 in Tõrvaaugu (in Järva County). In years, Estcon has “travelled” from Järva County to southern part of Estonia – Saarjärve in Põlva County. Last couple of years it has been in Jõgeva County – in Udu Tourism Farm at Lake Kuremaa. Estcon starts at Friday evening and lasts until Sunday noon. 5 Who’s Who in Estonian Science Fiction by Andri Riid and Raul Sulbi Belials, Veiko (1966–) A prolific poet, translator from Russian (most notably of the Strugatsky brothers), critic and editor, Belials is also an accomplished writer in all sub-genres of fantastic fiction, capable to emulate any writing style. His first novel «Ashinari kroonikad» (The Chronicles of Ashinar; 1997) was for many years the undisputed (if somewhat schematic) flagship of proper genre fantasy by an Estonian writer and was published mere 4 years after his debut in the horror magazine ’Mardus’ (Eidolon) in 1993. Having published 8–10 stories in ‘Mardus’, webzine ’Algernon’ or else- where each year for most of the decade and being criticized for non-pro- foundness or unoriginality with some regularity, Belials’ literary output came to a halt after a number of books collecting his top stories were published. These were his first short story collection «Helesiniste liivade laul» (A Song of Baby Blue Sands; 2003), a collection of sword & sorcery stories «See, mis tuikab su veres» (This What Pulsates in Your Blood; 2005) and a long awaited fix-up novel «Jumalate vandenõu» (Conspiracy of the Gods; 2006), inspired by an early SF story of Indrek Hargla. Belials’ return to writing was carefully aimed and highly successful as his new stories contained in «Kogu maailma valgus» (All the Light in the Whole World; 2013) and the collection itself brought its author 3 Stalker Awards, which is as many as he had been able to collect altogether in his prior career. 6 Berg, Lew R. (pseudonym) (1968–2005) Prolific writer of military SF and horror, mostly in novella or short novel form. Berg’s first story was published in 1995 in ‘Mardus’ and he quick- ly became one of the principal authors of the magazine. Several of his stories were serialized in general newspapers and have also appeared in ‘Algernon’. Berg’s first publication in a book form was a space opera novel «Tants tulle» (Dance into the Fire; 2000). In addition, he has three story collections and a further novel to his credit. Berg’s prose was often found having little literary merit and his subject matter derivative by contemporary critics but in his most successful stories he has been able to exploit his storytelling talent in the best tradition of adventure fiction and for the joy of readers. In recognition of the latter he has received the Stalker Award for the novella «Vaimudejõe viiras- tused» (Phantoms of the Ghost River) in 1998. Berg’s most famous body of work comprises of stories and short novels in «The X Files» milieu depicting the adventures of a security chief Willard, mercenary by pro- fession, fighting against the supernatural, often in exotic setting. Men- tion should be made of his collection «Reekviem Galateiale» (Requiem for Galateia; 2004) which comprised of colorful space opera stories set in the author’s Space Legion universe. His career, while on the upswing, was cut short by premature death; Berg’s magnum opus, a substantial and grim military SF novel «Must Kaardivägi» (The Black Guard) was published posthumously. «Üle pii- ri» (Across the Border), a collection of Willard stories, with some input from fellow writers, appeared in 2014. Also posthumous is a long novella «Musta Roosi vennaskond» (Brotherhood of the Black Rose; 2013), a space opera in the Space Legion universe, completed by fellow author Siim Veskimees. 7 Hargla, Indrek (pseudonym) (1970–) The most important Estonian author of fantastic fiction by all standards. Hargla debuted in December 1998, in the second issue of ‘Algernon’ but his first text of significance was the reworked version of the short novel «Gondvana lapsed» (The Children of Gondvana; 1999) that appeared few months later. Since then, Hargla was virtually unstoppable and equally capable of crafting stories in horror, SF, and fantasy subge- nres, most of what have appeared in ‘Algernon’, ‘Mardus’ and later on, in ‘Täheaeg’ and ‘Looming’ (Creation), Estonian leading literary magazine, and in general newspapers.

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